Albert Vandervelde
Dick Cepek FC II
The deep A/T type pattern improved the traction in deeper snow conditions we have seen this winter while keeping road noise in check. The deep lugs will also be much better for gravel roads come summer. The lower profile side wall means less sidewall flex and has improved the parking lot turning of the truck immensely over the previous set of tires.by Albert Vandervelde
With winter well underway our tow rig was in need of some new boots. With the amount of towing we do and the heavy weight of a diesel truck tires are something this truck sees a lot of. Last year we shod the beast in a set of Pirelli Scorpion ATRs. While I will say the tires were beyond excellent in the winter, the soft tire compound made them a poor summer tire. Not only are they mostly worn out after a single season, the soft rubber compound made turning in tight parking lots a bear in the hot summer months.
The other downside was anything loose such as deeper snow or loose gravel hills. The tight tread blocks did not allow for any added traction, these were pretty much a winter only tire and while I would not hesitate to use them for a winter tire again – they would need to come off when spring hits.
With so many different types of terrain our truck sees, we needed a better all around All Terrain type tire. We had used the Dick Cepek FC II tires on a Cherokee project a few years ago with great success and felt they were worth a try on the heavy diesel truck. At the same time, our Motometal chrome plated aluminum wheels were starting to show their age with pitting under the chrome and were becoming increasingly difficulty to clean.
Being a diesel and requiring a E load rated tire our choices became a bit limited to match the 35 inch tire size suited to the trucks suspension lift height. This combination of DC II wheels in a more current style, black on clear coated natural aluminum finish and 35X12.50R20LT FC II tires made for a nice combination on the Chevy. All of the FC II Cepek tires in the 18-20 inch rim size are rated E while the balance of the FC II lineup are C-E depending on size.
The deep A/T type pattern improved the traction in deeper snow conditions we have seen this winter while keeping road noise in check. The deep lugs will also be much better for gravel roads come summer. The lower profile side wall means less sidewall flex and has improved the parking lot turning of the truck immensely over the previous set of tires.
The truck went for a recent trip to Bralorne on a sledding trip and on the way home roads were not plowed through the mountain pass and we were breaking trail the whole way to Lillooet. The truck was loaded with gear pulling two sleds on trailer and It felt very confident with them in the snow. As for highway they drive good not to loud just a low hum.
The Cepek FC II line up:
Size Rating Height
31X10.50R15LT C 30.5in
33X12.50R15LT C 32.6in
35X12.50R15LT C 34.9in
LT265/75R16 32X10.50R16 E 31.8in
LT285/75R16 33X11.50R16 D 32.8in
LT305/70R16 33X12.50R16 D 32.8in
LT315/75R16 35X12.50R16 D 34.6in
LT265/70R17 32X10.50R17 E 31.7in
LT285/70R17 33X11.50R17 D 32.8in
33X12.50R17LT D 32.6in
35X12.50R17LT D 34.9in
37X13.50R17LT D 36.8in
LT275/65R18 32X11.50R18 E 32.3in
LT305/60R18 33X12.50R18 E 32.6in
LT325/60R18 33X13.50R18 E 33.2in
LT305/70R18 35X12.50R18 E 35.1in
LT325/65R18 35X13.50R18 E 35.0in
LT305/55R20 33X12.50R20 E 33.4in
LT325/50R20 33X13.50R20 E 33.0in
35X12.50R20LT E 34.6in
35X13.50R20LT E 34.8in